A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage - Chapter 66

After Sheng Lan posted her update, she followed her usual habit of picking out a few playful comments to reply to. One of them featured a GIF of her at the gala, clutching her phone and winking at the camera; the commenter asked who she was messaging.

Sheng Lan, being a bit of a closet flirt, didn’t say a word but tagged Lu Xueyin once again. Immediately, the comment section exploded with fans frantically tagging Lu Xueyin in return.

Sensing the mood was right, Sheng Lan closed Weibo and focused on her chat window, typing away to ask Lu Xueyin for a video call.

Lu Xueyin took a while to agree. When the call finally connected, the lighting was dim and the camera was shaky. After a few moments, the main light flickered on, and the image finally became clear.

Taking a video call from a resting position usually resulted in a “death angle”, shooting from below, making one’s face look larger. Sheng Lan, ever conscious of her image, held her phone slightly higher and asked Lu Xueyin, as if reporting to a superior: “Can I take off my makeup while we talk?”

She had left the gala, handled her private affairs, and spent time editing photos; she hadn’t even washed up yet.

Lu Xueyin remained her usual quiet self, offering only a soft “Mm.” In the background, Sheng Lan could hear the faint rustle of footsteps and objects being moved. Once Sheng Lan had set up her phone stand and adjusted the volume, she asked again to be sure.

This time, Sheng Lan heard clearly. As she unscrewed the cleansing oil, she looked at Lu Xueyin and noticed she was sitting in the living room. “Still busy?”

Lu Xueyin shook her head. “No.”

Sheng Lan then noticed she was wearing a button-down shirt over her pajamas. “Are you cold?”

Lu Xueyin shook her head again, but this time, her face turned visibly red.

Sheng Lan was puzzled. “Then what is it? Surely, you’re not hot?”

Lu Xueyin could feel the heat in her cheeks. Recalling the earlier incident in the dressing room where someone had asked her the same thing, she nodded quickly. “Yes, it’s hot.”

Sheng Lan paused her cleansing routine and suddenly laughed. “Sister, do I look like I’m three years old to you?”

With her high level of professional training, she managed to bite back her usual “tell the truth” and replaced it with a phrase that would have normally made her cringe: “Be a good girl and tell me.” Then, to avoid being too greasy, she added a characteristic threat: “Otherwise, I’m coming over to your house to fix the air conditioning right now.”

She meant it, regardless of the late hour. Lu Xueyin, knowing this was no idle threat, blurted out: “It is hot in the living room.”

The central air was off in the main area, and with an extra shirt on, it was indeed becoming stuffy.

Sheng Lan caught on instantly. “Then why did you come out of your bedroom?”

Lu Xueyin: “…”

Suddenly feeling a bit defensive, Lu Xueyin retorted, “Why did you call?”

Sheng Lan sensed her mild annoyance and blinked innocently. “Because I wanted to see you.”

Lu Xueyin’s face suddenly zoomed in on the camera before her long, silky black hair fell forward, creating a temporary “blackout” as she leaned down. Then came a beep, she had turned on the living room AC.

When the picture returned, she was pursing her lips, staring at Sheng Lan in silence. Sheng Lan raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. “My mistake. I’m sorry.”

She suspected Lu Xueyin had set the AC to the lowest possible temperature but didn’t dare say anything. Lu Xueyin took charge: “Hurry up and take off your makeup.”

Sheng Lan obeyed. When she stopped talking, the process was quite fast. She even brushed her teeth afterward. Before she could even suggest a shower or drop a flirty remark about “showering on camera” Lu Xueyin abruptly ended the call, telling her to get back to her business.

Sheng Lan was baffled. She racked her brain and could only come up with two reasons. One: Lu Xueyin was jealous of how close she had been with Yu Cheng today. Two: her public post might interfere with Lu Xueyin’s movie promotion. If the real-life CP was too loud, it might break the immersion for the movie’s pairing.

Sheng Lan called her back. She believed that in a close relationship, honesty was everything.

She explained her two theories from her perspective one about friendship, one about love noting that these were just her natural reactions. Then, she thought of a third reason: talking so late every night was affecting Lu Xueyin’s rest. But she wouldn’t dare mention that one; it sounded too much like a “break-up” conversation.

She waited for the verdict, her heart thumping in her ears. Since getting involved with Lu Xueyin, her emotions were constantly being tugged.

Lu Xueyin’s voice finally came through the phone, ethereal in the quiet night. “What… what are you thinking about?”

Sheng Lan was stunned. Realizing Lu Xueyin wasn’t angry, she relaxed. “What else? My head is full of you.”

Lu Xueyin wasn’t stupid; she realized Sheng Lan was afraid of her being angry. Her heart warmed, and she felt another flush of heat. She bit her lip to hide a smile, but her eyes crinkled anyway.

Realizing the misunderstanding, Lu Xueyin felt a bit of Sheng Lan’s awkwardness. She decided to offer a trade. She told Sheng Lan why she had gone to the living room for the call.

“After I got home, I looked at my old observation notes. One said: People don’t act lazy when they receive an important call.”

That was as much as her shy nature would allow her to say. Sheng Lan let out a low laugh and started playing the “good student” seeking acting advice.

“Teacher Lu, let me tell you my understanding of that. Tell me if I’m right.”

Lu Xueyin, having caught up on “CP culture” and being a frequent target of fan pairings, understood “flirting” in the literal sense. She nodded primly. “Go on.”

“Let’s say there’s someone named Xiao Lan,” Sheng Lan began. “She’s home after a long day, showered, AC on, phone in hand, ready for a chill night. Suddenly, she gets a call from her boss…”

Sheng Lan moved the phone away from her ear to watch the timer, making sure Lu Xueyin didn’t hang up.

“Xiao Lan sits bolt upright, acting like the boss is on a site inspection. But then the boss says, ‘We’re having a video meeting.’ Xiao Lan is struck by lightning. She scrambles out of bed, grabs a decent shirt, avoids the messy bed, and runs to the living room. But then the boss doesn’t talk about work—he just stares at her outfit. Xiao Lan gets annoyed: ‘What? You want me to stand up and show you my “Home Professional” attire?'”

Click.

“Xiao Lan” had exited the meeting.

“Teacher Lu? Are you listening?” Sheng Lan called out.

Lu Xueyin responded with sudden dry humor: “I’m not listening. I’m busy digging a three-bedroom apartment with my toes out of embarrassment.”

Sheng Lan couldn’t stop laughing. “Did I get anything wrong?”

“What is ‘Home Professional’ attire?” Lu Xueyin asked.

Sheng Lan paused, her voice sounding guilty. “Um… suit on top, boxers on the bottom?”

Hearing Sheng Lan’s guilt gave Lu Xueyin a small victory. Sheng Lan urged her to go back to her room and not sit in the cold living room.

“You know, there are many types of video meetings. For people like us after work, a ‘Bedside Meeting’ is much more appropriate.”

Lu Xueyin threw a sudden “straight ball” that caught Sheng Lan off guard. “Are you sure you don’t mean a ‘Meeting in Bed’?”

Whenever Lu Xueyin showed this kind of sharp, competitive energy, Sheng Lan felt a thrill. This Lu Xueyin was a dangerous, charming rose, one that wouldn’t point her thorns at her.

Sheng Lan looked at her own bright eyes in the mirror and surrendered. “Then I’ll leave myself in Teacher Lu’s hands.”

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